Can Leo Varadkar actually seize his opportunity?

It remains to be seen if the Taoiseach has the ability or temperament to achieve his goals

Leo Varadkar has been elected as the new Taoiseach by the Dáil and has received his Seals of Office from President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. Video: Kathleen Harris / Bryan O'Brien

Leo Varadkar after he was elected Taoiseach on Wednesday, at Leinster House. Photograph: Collins Photos

It was not until he was formally elected Taoiseach yesterday that the full implications of Leo Varadkar’s extraordinary rise to the most powerful office in the land really sank in.

Not only is he the youngest head of government in the history of the State but, as the son of an immigrant from India and an openly gay man, his elevation 10 years to the day he first entered the Dáil marked the coming of age of a modern, diverse Ireland.